Bunim/Murray boosts digital division with Roberts, Childers

Former Endemol exec John P. Roberts (pictured, left) has been named chief digital officer of Bunim/Murray Productions, where he will lead the company's digital division BMP Digital, with Kesila Childers (right) serving as VP.

Former Endemol exec John P. Roberts (pictured, left) has been named chief digital officer of Bunim/Murray Productions, where he will lead the company’s digital division BMP Digital, with Kesila Childers (right) serving as vice president.

In his new role, Roberts will look to increase the company’s digital productions, including multi-platform and digital programming for the web, mobile devices and other platforms, in addition to investigating further digital revenue opportunities.

Roberts most recently served as senior VP of digital media and commercial ventures at Endemol, where he developed the company’s digital and commercial business ventures in North America and also oversaw original digital productions, interactive television, social games and mobile apps.

Prior to Endemol, Roberts served as senior VP of digital content and cross-platform entertainment at The Hub – a multi-platform joint venture between Discovery Communications and Hasbro that was recently rebranded as Discovery Family Channel. He has also worked for Lucasfilm LTD, GSN, Vulcan Programming, Universal Studios and News Corp, where he established Fox.com.

“With our continued commitment to innovation and engaging, ground-breaking storytelling, we are thrilled to bring John on board to lead BMP Digital,” said Gil Goldschein, president of Bunim/Murray Productions, in a statement. “His extensive experience in digital and multi-platform production will help us continue to grow our digital initiatives and overall media footprint and extend our brands across multiple platforms.”

Roberts added: “Bunim/Murray is the best in the business when it comes to storytelling. They laid the foundation for unscripted TV and were pioneers in shining a spotlight on relatable, everyday people…My goal is to continue to build momentum and guide BMP Digital to the next level of content creation across all platforms including video, games and social media.”

Meanwhile, Childers – who was previously serving as BMP’s director of digital media – has been promoted to VP of BMP Digital, and will report to Roberts.

The exec will continue to oversee digital extensions for series such as The Real World, The Challenge and Bad Girls Club as well as digital content and social media initiatives. Childers’ production credits include the digital-to-television crossover show BRKDWN and SOS: Stylist on Set.